Sightseeing

土耳其

Istanbul · Turkey

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Istanbul · Turkey

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Sightseeing

Cappadocia

Cappadocia in central Turkey is one of the world's most surreal landscapes, a volcanic plateau carved over millennia into an extraordinary terrain of towering fairy chimneys, cone-shaped rock pillars, and cave cities. The UNESCO World Heritage region around Göreme, Ürgüp, and Avanos conceals thousands of rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes, underground cities that sheltered tens of thousands of people, and cave hotels built into the living rock. Hot air balloon flights over the fairy chimneys at sunrise are among travel's most iconic experiences.

Istanbul · Turkey

Sightseeing

Goreme Open-Air Museum

Göreme Open-Air Museum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cappadocia, Turkey, comprising a remarkable complex of rock-cut churches and monasteries carved into the volcanic tuff landscape. Dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, the churches preserve vivid Byzantine frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The museum is the centerpiece of the fairy-chimney landscape that makes Cappadocia one of Turkey's most extraordinary destinations.

Istanbul · Turkey

Sightseeing

Derinkuyu Underground City

Derinkuyu Underground City is the deepest and largest of Cappadocia's many underground cities, plunging 85 meters below ground across 8 stories hewn from the volcanic tuff. Capable of housing up to 20,000 people along with their livestock, food stores, and wine presses, it was used as a refuge by early Christian communities fleeing persecution. The city's low tunnels, roll-stone doors, churches, and wine cellars give a visceral sense of subterranean life in Byzantine Anatolia.

Istanbul · Turkey

Transport

Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW)

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport is Istanbul's second major airport, located on the Asian side of the city approximately 45 km from the European center. The airport primarily serves budget airlines including Pegasus and SunExpress, and handles a growing volume of domestic and international traffic, particularly to Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian destinations. The E14 metro line provides connections to Kadıköy on the Asian shore, from which ferries cross to the European side. Despite its distance from central Istanbul, Sabiha Gökçen's lower cost base makes it a popular choice for budget-conscious travelers and those staying on the Asian side.

Istanbul · Turkey

Sightseeing

Pamukkale

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) is a surreal natural wonder in southwestern Turkey where mineral-rich thermal waters cascade down terraced white travertine pools, creating a landscape of frozen white waterfalls. The UNESCO-listed site also encompasses ancient Hierapolis, a Greco-Roman spa city whose ruins include a spectacular necropolis, theatre, and the sacred thermal pool of Cleopatra. The glowing white terraces are one of Turkey's most iconic and otherworldly landscapes.

Istanbul · Turkey

Food

Çiya Sofrası Istanbul

Çiya Sofrası is one of Istanbul's most important and beloved restaurants, operating in the Kadıköy market district on the Asian side of the Bosphorus under chef Musa Dağdeviren, who has devoted his career to preserving and reviving the dying culinary traditions of Anatolia. The restaurant functions simultaneously as a research institution and a lunch counter, serving a rotating menu of regional Turkish dishes drawn from a personal archive of thousands of recipes collected from villages across Turkey. Dishes from southeastern Anatolia, the Black Sea coast, and nomadic traditions sit alongside more familiar Istanbul staples, creating a daily menu of extraordinary depth and cultural significance.

Istanbul · Turkey

Discover places worth the detour

Destination

Turkey

Travel guides

Turkey Travel Guide: Ancient Wonders & Modern Charm

7 days

Events

Ramadan Iftar Season

Turkey’s Ramadan Iftar Season centers on iftar, the evening meal that ends the daily Ramadan fast at sunset and the Maghrib call to prayer. Ramadan is a month o

Date pending official confirmation

Events

Istanbul Tulip Festival

The Istanbul Tulip Festival brings a vivid welcome to spring each April, when parks, gardens, and public spaces across the city are planted with tulips. The flo

Date pending official confirmation